Hanging baskets and containers are ideal to brighten up small balconies and large patios.
Whether you are looking for bursts of brilliant colour or more muted tones there are various options to delight your senses. For the most glorious displays, follow the general rule of using thrillers, spillers and fillers in your containers and baskets.
The thriller is the central feature plant, like a pelargonium, salvia or other eye-catching plants. The filler provides the bulk and is usually compact and full of flowers, like impatiens, osteospermum or lobelia.
Spillers are planted around the edge and are trailing or cascading plants. Here are a few basket combinations to wet the appetite:
Shades of pink
Shock Wave Petunias (Petunia x hybrid) are the earliest flowering of all petunias and their strong branches spread out quickly to fill up baskets and containers.
The Pink Vein variety is a soft pink with darker veins that run through the petals. These pink beauties are combined with Blue Bacopa (Sutera cordata) to weave in pops of lavender or blue amongst the show of pink, creating an overflow of cotton candy coloured blooms in the basket or container.
Yellow and white
This basket of sunshine combines the bold, bright yellow blooms of Osteospermum Voltage Yellow with the crisp Petunia Easy Wave (Petunia x hybrida) in white.
Expect an abundant gush of big, bright blooms from spring through to autumn. This combination is easy to grow, hardy and will make a lasting impact when placed in a sunny spot.
Bold
This basket is like a rainbow of colour bursting out of the pot. Plant Calibrachoas in deep yellow, rose and purple for a colour sensation that will bring happiness to any balcony, patio or garden. These brilliant blooms grow best in low-light and tolerate shade well.
These are just a few of the stylish ways you can fill your baskets or containers, however, the options are endless. You can create your masterpiece according to your personal taste and remember colours don’t clash when it comes to plants.
For more inspiration visit your nearest GCA Garden Centre and select from the wide variety of hanging baskets, containers and flowers to brighten up your home.
For more gardening tips and information, visit lifeisagarden.co.za or join the conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifeisagardensa.
